Read More

England's national football team player Wayne Rooney (L) speaks with coach Roy Hodgson during a training sesssion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Photo credit should read YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)

"I don’t keep in contact with players all the time – I’ve got enough players here at Palace to deal with – but I like to think those players I work with know that I still care about them and still appreciate what they did for me in my England time.

"Mainly the conversations I have with them now will be when I bump into them at games.

"Players make decisions without an awful lot of facts to take into consideration. And from the outside, I'm not party to all those facts and considerations he's thought about.

Read More

England's striker Wayne Rooney (L) shakes hands with England's manager Roy Hodgson after being substituted during the friendly football match between England and Portugal at Wembley stadium in London on June 2, 2016. / AFP / Ian Kington (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images)

"But one thing I do know is England owes him, he owes England nothing, because he gave is all for England and did more than his fair share of what someone could expect for England.

"So when the day comes when he says he wants to retire, even if it surprises a guy like me because I know passionate he is about playing for England, I am very sure he's had good reasons for coming to that decision.

"And he's thought about it very, very carefully before ringing Gareth Southgate up and telling him."